As I stand on the cusp of another new year, to me it looks as blank as the snow covered fields in Heath. The deep snow covers any mess, weeds or brush, and presents me with a new blank page. Mistakes are forgotten, the page is waiting for my imagination and energy to mark it. Most of us feel the energy of possibility as we face a new year. This year, with a new…
Alerted by Michelle over on Garden Rant, I read the NYTimes op-ed piece by Oliver Morton about the strength of living systems on the earth. It is a beautiful piece, science and poetry combined, that is appropriate to the season of miraculous birth and new beginnings.
Jane Beatrice Wegscheider's prize winning portable, multi-media, installation piece honoring individual and collective efforts at sustainability is built around this mosaic topped dining table that has lots of room for a convivial gathering. Currently it is on exhibit at the Northampton Town Hall, but it will be traveling throughout our region.The prize was granted by the Pioneer Valley (Mass.) Sustainability Network, which is comprised of numerous private, municipal and non-profit organizations and networks devoted to bridging the gap…
We went away for the weekend to join a friend in her birthday celebration. Everywhere we went we saw brilliant burning bushes, Euonymus alatus. It is easy to understand the popularity of this shrub. It is dependable and long lived, tolerant of many soils and able to grow in sun or shade, as well as having desirable fall color. However, it is an invasive plant, native to Asia, able to crowd and shade out many other plants. Because…
All the festive events for the holiday weekend actually began on October 8th when friends gathered with Elsa Bakalar, our most famous and generous local gardener, to celebrate her 90th birthday. It's been a difficult year for Elsa with two broken hips and other injuries, but she was as ready for her party as any of us. Judy (left) worked with Elsa for many years in Elsa's house and gardens and Marie (center) has known Elsa since she…
Journeys can be planned, but they usually hold many fascinating surprises. We set off to enjoy the beautiful autumnal foliage, which seems particularly beautiful this year, zip through Vermont and land in Montreal. We were enjoying the foliage, but stopped at a Rest Area in Vermont. First we were surprised by the big sign, Free Wi-Fi. Oh why hadn't I brought the laptop?! We found that all the Vermont rest areas had Wi-Fi and many also had fax…
Yesterday's New York Times had a story about how a group of Californians were harvesting unwanted fruit from old orchards and homewoners who had ornamental fruit trees and bringing it to local hard pressed food banks.I told this same story on Saturday in my Between the Rows column about how local farmers here bring leftover produce to the Center for Self-Reliance on Osgood Street (413-773-5029) in Greenfield after the Saturday Farmers Market! And then I learned that it…
Pam Porter (R), co-president of the Heath Agricultural Society, arranged for Annie Cheatam (L) to come to the Heath Fair and talk about local agriculture. As the former owner of a garden center, and most recently retired after 9 years as the Director of Community Involved in Sustainable Agriculture (CISA) Annie knows a lot about local farms, local gardens, local gardeners and farmers and what they, we, and our communities are doing and what we need. CISA developed…
There was substantial discussion about the demise of the lawn on Garden Rant recently. One question was what will replace lawns, especially on municipal sites. I'm not against all lawns, but some municipal space could very well be used for community gardens. This one in Greenfield (MA) is right in the center of town. It occupies part of the lawn surrounding an old elementary school that now houses the school systems' administrative offices.Eveline MacDougall found the site, originally…
Out here in the country where most of us have to communte to work in our cars, the state of our roads in winter is of paramount importance. However we are not only commuters, most of us in Heath worry about the environment and are always seeking ways to live more lightly on our beautiful landscape.This desire is not only felt individually. Last year and this the town is using a new method of 'salting' the roads to…